


We Can Live Beside the Ocean

by Blu_dahlia



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: A little fluffy, Alternate Universe - Future, Friendship, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Siblings, Swimming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-06-08 09:46:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6849418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blu_dahlia/pseuds/Blu_dahlia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Season 3. Some of Clarke's (and maybe some other characters' eventually) reflections as the remaining Sky People reach and settle down by the sea.</p><p>Title from Santa Monica by Everclear</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Blakes

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to be the start of one long drabble/essay/vignette/whatever you want to call it. But I'm stuck on the rest of it and getting increasingly annoyed with seeing it sitting incomplete on my screen so I've decided to break it up into chapters. Here's the first bit I feel is ready to post.

Clarke Griffin has never really believed in fate. Despite her artistic inclinations, she’s always been more likely to lean towards facts and reason. Tangible cause and effect. Practicality and probability. So it’s not surprising that she doesn’t believe that being sent down to an allegedly uninhabited planet in a spaceship at seventeen was the universe’s predestined plan for her. Especially considering said planet and its inhabitants were immediately set on trying to kill them. The members of the 100 that have survived this long have done so out of pragmatism and determination, possibly a healthy dose of spite. They are certainly not still alive because it was “meant to be”. There is no doubt in Clarke’s mind.

Except, perhaps, when she thinks about the Blakes.

Bellamy and Octavia seem more naturally suited to Earth than anyone else in Arkadia. Both naturally athletic, strong, and quick on their feet. They’re easily and constantly aware of their surroundings, and complete naturals with weapons. Clarke is pretty sure they’re blood literally runs hotter than everyone else’s, keeping them warmer and more comfortable in the winter months. (Bellamy lasts longer than anyone else on night watch when it’s freezing. Octavia opts to sleep outside for the majority of the year because she  _likes_  it.) Hell, Bellamy’s little sister is naturally resistant to some of Earth’s viruses.

The Blake siblings were born to live on Earth. The evidence for this fact has only compounded since their group has reached and settled at the sea. Their brown skin deepens as they soak up the sun. (Clarke tries not to be bitter about this. It’s not their fault that her own fair complexion is trapped in a vicious cycle of frying and peeling that is completely impervious to any of Monty and Jasper’s concoctions.) Their feet and hands, already toughened and calloused from hard labor and combat training easily take on the hot sand. And the way the two of them took to the ocean? Borderline mythical.

Clarke had witnessed Octavia diving headfirst into a river with no fear come up smiling their first day on Earth, so it wasn’t exactly surprising to see her shriek and immediately run across the beach and into the ocean when they arrived, shedding her clothes along the way. Also not surprising? Bellamy’s flabbergasted “O! What the fuck?!” as he realized his sister was stripping down half-naked in front of everyone and stopped in his tracks. He quickly softened though when Octavia turned around with an actual, genuine, goddamn  _smile_ on her face (it had been  _so long_ ) and an expression that was a dizzying mixture of delight and challenge.

“Calm your tits old man. You coming or what?”

Clarke watched Bellamy closely to see his reaction. Octavia was slowly working through her anger at him, and they definitely had each other’s backs when it counted, but the lack of danger the Arkadians currently faced seemed to have halted their healing. The novelty of actually having time to process everything that’s happened made the siblings cautious and wary around each other. They weren’t hostile, but they were distant. It's _killing_ Bellamy.

Right now though, Octavia’s utter giddiness was melting the ice between them, her smile and teasing anything but hostile or distant. Clarke’s heart swelled as she saw hope peeking timidly out from behind Bellamy’s eyes and smirk take over his face. She feels like she’s watching him in slow motion but in reality it takes a split second for him to decide to join in Octavia’s excitement. He swiftly pulls his shirt over his head, throwing it in Murphy’s face, before taking off down the beach where he proceeds to throw his sister over his shoulder and hurl both of them into the gentle waves. The rest of the group is transfixed on the beach, watching the two of them dive around gracefully like mermaids.

“Idiots,” Murphy scoffs and Clarke and Raven roll their eyes at each other when Bellamy and Octavia start splashing each other like little kids in a bathtub but Raven also grabs Clarke’s hand, squeezes it, and doesn’t let go because they can’t remember the last time they caught either Blake laughing or smiling and it’s the best thing they’ve seen in a while.


	2. Clarke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as it turns out, I am terrible at updating on a remotely reasonable schedule. I apologize.
> 
> As a result of this, the universe that this exists in is now rather AUish. So let's imagine that after season three, the City of Light was destroyed, but the world wasn't ending.

Since Bellamy and Octavia were apparently born with innate swimming abilities and mastered the skill in about two hours, they spent the next few days teaching everyone else. Miller and Harper were hesitant at first, but both blasted through the fear in their own way Miller, stoic and resolute; Harper, loudly, basically punching the water until she felt more comfortable. Murphy had apparently learned from Emori during a charade where they staged his drowning, so he really just needed practice. Monty and Jasper were both on edge, generally speaking the two of them still were most of the time, but Clarke is pretty sure visions of an  _actual sea monster_  attacking Octavia that first day are the main culprit in this instance. They end up holding hands which is hilarious and bittersweet given the current state of their friendship (Fractured. Will any of them be whole again?)

Clarke herself is unashamed to admit she has a very real respect for and understanding of the fact that the ocean is a dangerous entity. If you want to call that fear, good for you. Bellamy had quickly lost his patience with her the first time she attempted swimming as she became more snappish and stubborn the more he tried to coax her further into the water. They both ended up yelling then she stormed back up the beach. He tried to talk to her about that night, explaining that it’s only safer if everyone learns and especially her because they all need her and she’s important.

Clarke  _knows_ Bellamy’s right. She 100% agrees. But she can’t say that out loud because she also can’t say out loud the very valid reasons for her trepidation; the reminder of almost drowning _twice_ , the aforementioned  _actual sea monster_ , the fact that she’s short and it’s deep and she just really doesn’t need one more instance where she feels like she can’t find her footing since she’s already fighting that feeling, literally or figuratively, essentially all the time.

It’s too hard to voice all of that, (not to mention that while she does agree, Bellamy is absolutely pandering to her with all of the “the people need you to” talk and she can’t decide if it’s comforting or enraging that he knows her so well) so she snaps at him again to fucking let it go. This time though he just looks into her eyes for a minute and says “Okay, Clarke” and leaves it.

Two days later she’s woken up and pulled out of her tent at dawn by a shirtless Bellamy. She opens her mouth to protest but he puts his finger over her lips before she can get a word out and at the same time hands her an apple and gestures with his head for her to follow him down to the beach. She takes a bite and obeys, albeit warily; she has a feeling she knows where this is going and she’s not going to like it.

He gets to the beach first, plopping down comfortably in the sand, and pats the ground next to him. Clarke does, again, warily.

“You need to learn how to swim. I – “

He pauses as Clarke bristles like he was expecting it. She is both completely surprised and not surprised at all at the way her words die on her tongue when he covers her hand with his for a second and gives her a look that is both firm and earnest.

“I know you know. I just want to help. So just come out here with me a few times in the morning. Nobody else around, no pressure. And then I.., me and everyone else will quit worrying about it.”

Clarke sighs, studying him for a moment. She’s gotten pretty good at reading his body language after all they’ve been through and she’s learned the key is to look under the surface. He’s posture is composed, but relaxed. He’s trying to put her at ease. But there’s a tension, a worried tension, peeking out. Bellamy will probably never not be worried, especially about her (she’s accepted this even if she still can’t quite wrap her mind around the meaning behind it) and she hates that. So she says yes.

By the end of the week, Clarke can swim, though she still doesn’t like it very much. She’s perfectly happy to sit on the beach and sketch while her friends are in the water. Sometimes Murphy will join her (group activities aren’t exactly his thing), though they don’t really talk much. Miller will stretch out next to her and take a nap (he doesn’t get as many nightmares as the rest of them but he’s developed a hyper-vigilance that has him up every couple hours, like he’s always on watch), and, of course, Bellamy will sit with her making conversation with one eye on her, watching her draw, and one eye on the water looking out for the others. Clarke enjoys her quiet, easy companions. Quiet and easy, while still a novelty, feels just fine.


End file.
